• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.11.1-11.8
• /
• 2018

Interspecific hybridization experiments were conducted between the common seahorse Hippocampus kuda (male) and the slender seahorse H. reidi (female) during artificial rearing to develop a new aquarium fish with unique polyandrous mating. Molecular analysis via mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b and nuclear DNA (ncDNA) ribosomal protein S7 gene supported the hybridization between the two species, and the hybrid also showed morphological characteristics of both species. Juveniles of H. kuda have dense melanophores on the whole body or only on the trunk and tail, whereas juveniles of H. reidi have thin melanophores on the whole body or present in stripes only along their prominent trunk and tail rings. However, all the hybrid juveniles had dense melanophores only on the tail, with the striped trunk rings, thus showing an intermediate pattern, and these patterns were limited to the fairly early stage of development (1-10 days old). In contrast, the two eye spines in the hybrid were apparent after 9 days old, which were not inherited from H. kuda (one eye spine), but from H. reidi (two eye spines). According to LOESS (local regression) analysis, the growth rate increased between 20 and 25 days, and the hybrids grew faster than H. kuda when they entered the explosive second phase of growth between 25 and 45 days for all the seahorses. This study highlights the hybridization between H. kuda and H. reidi may contribute to the improved taxonomic information of young seahorses.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.337-344
• /
• 2009

In a previous study, we reported our discovery of Acanthamoeba contamination in domestic tap water; in that study, we determined that some Acanthamoeba strains harbor endosymbiotic bacteria, via our molecular characterization by mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (Mt DNA RFLP). Five (29.4%) among 17 Acanthamoeba isolates contained endosymbionts in their cytoplasm, as demonstrated via orcein staining. In order to estimate their pathogenicity, we conducted a genetic characterization of the endosymbionts in Acanthamoeba isolated from domestic tap water via 16S rDNA sequencing. The endosymbionts of Acanthamoeba sp. KA/WP3 and KA/WP4 evidenced the highest level of similarity, at 97% of the recently published 16S rDNA sequence of the bacterium, Candidatus Amoebophilus asiaticus. The endosymbionts of Acanthamoeba sp. KA/WP8 and KA/WP12 shared a 97% sequence similarity with each other, and were also highly similar to Candidatus Odyssella thessalonicensis, a member of the $\alpha$-proteobacteria. The endosymbiont of Acanthamoeba sp. KA/WP9 exhibits a high degree of similarity (85-95%) with genus Methylophilus, which is not yet known to harbor any endosymbionts. This is the first report, to the best of our knowledge, to show that Methylophilus spp. can live in the cytoplasm of Acanthamoeba.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.9
• /
• pp.4517-4525
• /
• 2016

Background: Sperm DNA damage is underlying aetiology of poor implantation and pregnancy rates but also affects health of offspring and may also result in denovo mutations in germ line and post fertilization. This may result in complex diseases, polygenic disorders and childhood cancers. Childhood cancer like retinoblastoma (RB) is more prevalent in developing countries and the incidence of RB has increased more than three fold in India in the last decade. Recent studies have documented increased incidence of cancers in children born to fathers who consume alcohol in excess and tobacco or who were conceived by assisted conception. The aetiology of childhood cancer and increased disease burden in these children is lin ked to oxidative stress (OS) and oxidative DNA damage( ODD) in sperm of their fathers. Though several antioxidants are in use to combat oxidative stress, the effect of majority of these formulations on DNA is not known. Yoga and meditation cause significant decline in OS and ODD and aid in regulating OS levels such that reactive oxygen speues meditated signal transduction, gene expression and several other physiological functions are not disrupted. Thus, this study aimed to analyze sperm ODD as a possible etiological factor in childhood cancer and role of simple life style interventions like yoga and meditation in significantly decreasing seminal oxidative stress and oxidative DNA damage and thereby decreasing incidence of childhood cancers. Materials and Methods: A total of 131 fathers of children with RB (non-familial sporadic heritable) and 50 controls (fathers of healthy children) were recruited at a tertiary center in India. Sperm parameters as per WHO 2010 guidelines and reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA fragmentation index (DFI), 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxy guanosine (8-OHdG) and telomere length were estimated at day 0, and after 3 and 6 months of intervention. We also examined the compliance with yoga and meditation practice and smoking status at each follow-up. Results: The seminal mean ROS levels (p<0.05), sperm DFI (p<0.001), 8-OHdG (p<0.01) levels were significantly higher in fathers of children with RB, as compared to controls and the relative mean telomere length in the sperm was shorter. Levels of ROS were significantly reduced in tobacco users (p<0.05) as well as in alcoholics (p<0.05) after intervention. DFI reduced significantly (p<0.05) after 6 months of yoga and meditation practice in all groups. The levels of oxidative DNA damage marker 8-OHdG were reduced significantly after 3 months (p<0.05) and 6 months (p<0.05) of practice. Conclusions: Our results suggest that OS and ODD DNA may contribute to the development of childhood cancer. This may be due to accumulation of oxidized mutagenic base 8OHdG, and elevated MDA levels which results in MDA dimers which are also mutagenic, aberrant methylation pattern, altered gene expression which affect cell proliferation and survival through activation of transcription factors. Increased mt DNA mutations and aberrant repair of mt and nuclear DNA due to highly truncatred DNA repair mechanisms all contribute to sperm genome hypermutability and persistant oxidative DNA damage. Oxidative stress is also associated with genome wide hypomethylation, telomere shortening and mitochondrial dysfunction leading to genome hypermutability and instability. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report decline in OS and ODD and improvement in sperm DNA integrity following adoption of meditation and yoga based life style modification.This may reduce disease burden in next generation and reduce incidence of childhood cancers.

• Journal of Aquaculture
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.403-407
• /
• 1997

Intraspecific sequence variation was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing of a 350-nucleotide region of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene of two natural populations (Han River and Nakdong River) and one hatchery stock (Jinhae Inland Fisheries Institute) of local strain common carp, one Israeli strain of common carp stock from Pukyong National University (PKU), and one hybrid between Israeli strain of common carp female and local strain common carp male from PKU stock. There is little variation in 350 bases of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene sequences among 2 natural and 1 hatchery local strain common carp populatins, representing abut 7 to 20 nucleotide differences (less than 6%). The sequence of specimens from Han River was more similar to that from Nakdong River (identity=98.0%) than to that from Jinhae Inland Fisheries Institute (identity=96.3%). Sequence variation between Israeli strain and wild local strain common carp was higher than the variation within natural stocks. The level of variation was ranged from 15.7 to 17.7%. The hybrid showed very similar nucleotide4 sequence of 12S rRNA gene to the sequence of Israeli strain with the identity of 98.9%.

• Genes and Genomics
• /
• v.40 no.11
• /
• pp.1137-1148
• /
• 2018

Freshwater gobies Rhinogobius cliffordpopei and R. giurinus are invasive species with particular concern because they have become dominant and were fierce competitors in the invaded areas in Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau (southwest of China). Information about genetic characteristics of R. giurinus have been published, but there were still no relevant reports about R. cliffordpopei. In present study, the complete mitochondrial genome of R. cliffordpopei was determined, which was 16,511 bp in length with A+T content of 51.1%, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, 2 ribosomal RNAs, and a control region. The gene composition and the structural arrangement of the R. cliffordpopei complete mtDNA were identical to most of other teleosts. Phylogenetic analyses placed R. cliffordpopei in a well-supported monophyletic cluster with other Rhinogobius fish. But the phylogenetic relationship between genus Rhinogobius and Tridentiger remained to be resolved.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.626-632
• /
• 2014

The genetic structure and phylogenetic relationship were investigated in Korean red spotted grouper populations using the nucleotide sequence polymorphisms of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. The COI gene was sequenced showed 99.1-99.8% identity with the EF607565 sequence previously reported. A total of twenty haplotypes were found, and the Korean population showed nineteen haplotypes. Among those, Hap_03 and Hap_08 showed Jeju-do and China-specific COI sequences, respectively. However, Hap_07 had twelve COI sequences from South Korea and records from Hong Kong and Taiwan. Neighbor-joining (NJ) trees constructed from the phylogenetic analyses based on the polymorphisms of the COI haplotypes showed a monophyletic branching pattern within the genus Epinephelus. This indicated that the red spotted grouper populations had evolved from common maternal ancestors. In addition, the Hap_08, which had the COI sequence recorded only from China Sea, was found in the middle of the NJ tree nearby Hap_07 and showed a close relationship with Hap_07. This indicates that Chinese red spotted grouper is also maternally related to other populations in East Asia. Consequently, East Asian red spotted grouper populations are maternally related, as well as sharing the same evolutionary history, and are still affected by the East Asian ocean current (Kuroshio). These findings help to explain the genetic structure and phylogenetic relationship of red spotted grouper and also contribute to research on artificial breeding and industrialization.

• Korean Journal of Ornithology
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.117-125
• /
• 2018

The Grey-capped greenfinch (Chloris sinica) is a polytypic species that exhibits complicated geographical variation in morphology. This study provides an intraspecific phylogeographic variability of C. sinica populations in Korea with their morphometric data. The observed morphometric variations were that Ulleung island population was morphologically distinct in bill length and depths as compared to the mainland populations. Phylogenetic relationships among mitochondrial COX1 regions provided evidence for genetic differentiation between Ulleung and mainland populations. However, their genetic distances and nucleotide diversities were very low, highlighting their recent divergence. The needs for additional research is heightened to substantiate if the genetic clines in different localities may arise in C. sinica subspecies, each of which could have different breeding and wintering habitats, distribution patterns, and migration pathways.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.218-225
• /
• 1999

We isolated the ANRI fragment from Aspergillus nidulons that could autononlously replicate and enhance transformation efficiency about $10^4$ fold compared lo the integrative vector in Saccha,omgcer cerevisioe. In A. nidulans recombinant plasmid pLJ16-4.5 which carries the 4.5 kb EcoRI fragment of ANRI showed a 170-[old increase of transformation efficiency compared to the integrative vector pLJ16 and could be recovered from iransfonnants as an intact form. Estimated copy number of transforming plasmid pLJ16-4.5 was scored as 2 to 3 copies in transformed A. nidulans. Recoinbinant plasinid pILJ16-4.5 is inilotically unstable; being lost Irom 65% of aswual progeny of transformants on selective medium and 90% on complete medium. Southern analysis of transformant DNA showed that the pILJ16-4.5 is maintained in free form. The sequencing data showed that ANRl fragment was originated from mitochondiral DNA of A. nid~ilans and contained high AT content as much as 74.7%. One ARS consensus sequence (A/T)TTr4T(A/G)TTT(AiT). I I ARS-like sequence (agreement 10 of 11) and ABFl binding core consensus sequence (TCN7ACG). Also six gyrase binding core consensus sequence (YRTGNYNNY: y=C or T, R=A or G, N=A, G, C or T) of $\Phi$X174 and SV40 DNA and one b site (CACTTTACC) combining with gyrase in ColEl are shown. ANRl can be developed as a repl&ng plasinid for lransfoimation system in A. nirlulmis.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.263-267
• /
• 2014

A single juvenile pomacentrid specimen (5.9 mm standard length) was collected from the Korea Strait in October 2010. The specimen is characterized by punctate-stellate melanophores scattered on the operculum and dorso-ventral region in front of the caudal peduncle, the lack of melanophores on the posterior end of the anal fin base, the presence of 14 spines and 14 soft rays on the dorsal fin, and the presence of 2 spines and 12 soft rays on the anal fin. A molecular analysis based on mitochondrial DNA 16S rRNA sequences showed that this specimen is closely related to adult Chromis mirationis (d = 0.002), but that it differs from Chromis notata (d = 0.017). Juvenile C. mirationis differ from juvenile C. notata in having no melanophores on the posterior end of the anal fin base. We propose a new Korean name, "tti-ja-ri-dom" for C. mirationis.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.109-113
• /
• 2015

Three leptocephali (22.2, 22.7, 56.0 mm in total length) collected from the East/Japan Sea were identified by morphological and genetic analyses as belonging to the genus Scolecenchelys (Anguilliformes, Ophichthidae). Morphologically, the specimens were characterized by 148-158 myomeres, 10 gut swellings, dorsal fin origin above middle of the body, and 6 postanal melanophores between the anus and the caudal margin. An analysis of an 849-base pair 12S rRNA sequence of mitochondrial DNA showed that sequences are concordant with those of adult Scolecenchelys fuscogularis (genetic distance = 0.001). Furthermore total number of myomeres is consistent with the total number of vertebrae in adult S. fuscogularis. This study provides the first description of the morphological characteristics of S. fuscogularis leptocephali and their variations with size. The Korean name of S. fuscogularis is "Ga-neun-mul-baem", established by Ji et al. (2012).